Auburn International, Inc.

Frank G Grimaldi

Ronald L Dechene

Robert E Newton

Measuring of mixed phased flows to determine flow regime through the use of circumferentially shifted electric fields and measurement of resultant diametral and chord conductances with certain combinations of ratios of diametral to cord conductances serving as a signature of flow regime.

Flow regime detecting

The relative amounts of liquid phase versus vapor phase of a mixed phase nonconductive fluid such as oil or fuel; or the relative amounts of solids versus gas of a mixed flow of nonconductive particles and gas such as pneumatically conveyed plastic pellets and other material is determined by capacitive measurement taken in several distributed directions overlapping within the cross section of a flow path by providing a rotating electric field therein with an alternating voltage on the order of 10-100 kilohertz, with capacitive measurement produced by the rotated field being proportional to the liquid or solid fraction (and by subtraction from unity, vapor or gas fraction), the rotating electrical field being produced by sequentially rotating the electrical position of six plates equally spaced around the periphery of the cross section to be measured, the plate structure and insulations defining a flow measuring cross section or being spaced on the outer periphery of a nonconductive flow tube with allowance for rigors of flow conditions and fluid environment to provide reliable, long life.

Nonconductive vapor/solid or liquid fraction determination

The relative amounts of liquid phase versus vapor phase of a mixed phase conductive fluid, such as boiling water, is determined by conductivity measurement taken in several distributed directions overlapping within the cross section of a flow path by providing a rotating field vector therein with an alternating voltage on the order of 1-30 kilohertz, with conductivity measurement produced by the rotated field being divided by a liquid conductivity measurement to determine liquid fraction (and by subtraction from unity, vapor fraction), the rotating electrical field being produced by application of a multi-phase alternating current to groups of electrodes with poled pairs distributed in alternation around the periphery of the cross section to be measured, the electrode structure and intervening insulators defining a flow measuring cross section with allowance for rigors of flow conditions and fluid environment to provide reliable, long-lived effective measurement.

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Tewksbury, MA, United States of America

Frank G Grimaldi